PATNA: After a brief recovery, the wedding-related businesses have faltered again with marriages getting postponed amid the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

For wedding planners and vendors, who had suffered huge losses in the last three wedding seasons, the April-May season is likely to be another disappointment. “We are struggling for survival,” said Yuvraj Shambhu, owner of a marriage hall on Ashiana-Digha Road.

Siddharth Singh, owner of a banquet hall on Bypass, said 10 pre-booked weddings got rescheduled in a span of one week. “To keep up with the latest trend, we have to update our interiors every year. However, financial crisis due to the pandemic has made it difficult for us to do business,” he added.
Most couples have rescheduled their wedding dates to later half of the year. Those who have not are in a fix due to the limitations on number of guests. “Deciding who to invite and who to leave is a herculean task. The restrictions have curtailed our plans,” said Amit Kumar of Dighwara in Saran district.

Puja Tiwari, whose brother was to get married in Patna, has now shifted the wedding venue to their native village. “We have invited only our close relatives due to the pandemic. The wedding venue has been changed as villages are still safer than urban locations,” she said.

Adjusting to the situation, wedding planners have come up with creative ways to make Covid era weddings safer. “Now that budgets have shrunk, more intricate details can be added to the celebrations,” said Aayush Agarwal, a wedding planner.

Kumar Vikram, who will tie the knot in May as per schedule, said, “We will be keeping our celebrations small without compromising on the excitement and fun.”

The resurgence of Covid-19 has also affected jewellery sales during wedding season. Vipin Kumar, sales executive of a jewellery shop at Maurya Lok Complex, said, “As weddings are being rescheduled due to rise in cases, sales are not up to our expectations.”

Flower vendors, band members, mehndi artists and owners of catering units and tent houses are the worst hit due to restrictions on number of attendees, which has also resulted in cancellation of other events, such as birthday parties and business conferences.

Dr Sujai Ranjan Bose, who had planned to celebrate the ‘annaprashan’ of his newborn daughter, had to cancel the celebrations because of the pandemic, forfeiting huge loss in form of advances paid for different items and services.